Fat and jolly

Amy Corderoy

Teenage girls who are obese are less likely to be depressed than girls who are simply overweight, French researchers have shown. Their study could support the "fat and jolly" hypothesis, they wrote in the journal BMC Public Health.

The improved well-being could be linked to hormone and neuroendocrine issues related to excess weight or simply could be relief at giving up on a constant weight-loss battle, they suggested.

Eaing for fun? ... research finds significant link between depression and BMI.

Their study of almost 40,000 17-year-olds found the link between body mass index and depression was significant in both boys and girls, although a higher proportion of girls were depressed than boys, despite the fact fewer girls were overweight.

While in boys obesity or being underweight were associated with depression, in girls it was being overweight that was linked to the most mental health problems.